Quick answer: In California, a car can be towed for paperwork problems even when it is parked legally. Two rules in Vehicle Code 22651 cause most of these tows: subdivision (o), which allows removal when registration expired more than six months earlier (after the officer checks DMV records), and subdivision (i), which allows impound when a vehicle has five or more parking tickets the owner has not responded to within the legal deadlines. Getting the car back requires fixing the underlying problem, not just paying the tow yard.
This guide from the TowCars team explains both rules, how they are enforced in places like Los Angeles, what you need to bring to get the car released, and how to avoid the problem in the first place. It is general information, not legal advice.
Rule 1: Registration expired more than six months
What the law says
CVC 22651(o)(1)(A) allows a peace officer or parking enforcement employee to remove a vehicle found or operated on a highway, public land, or an off-street parking facility with a registration expiration date more than six months before the date it is found or operated.
The law also includes an important safeguard. Before removing a car for expired registration, the officer or employee must verify, using available DMV records, that no current registration exists. If current registration is on file with the DMV, the car must not be removed under this rule, even if the sticker on the plate is not current. If the officer does not have immediate access to DMV records, the car shall not be removed under this subparagraph.
Where it applies
The rule covers streets, public land, and “off-street parking facilities.” The law defines those as facilities open for public parking, including publicly owned lots and privately owned lots that are free and open for the common use of retail customers, such as a free store parking lot.
Plates and stickers that do not belong to the car
Subdivisions (o)(1)(B) and (C) also allow removal when a car displays a registration card, plate, sticker, permit or similar item that was not issued for that vehicle, or one that is altered, forged, counterfeit or falsified.
If the car is occupied
Only a peace officer, not a civilian parking employee, may remove an occupied vehicle under this subdivision.
Getting it released
Under subdivision (o)(3)(A), the car is released to the registered owner or person in control only after they provide the storing agency with proof of current registration and a valid driver’s license to operate the vehicle. That means you usually need to renew the registration first, which may involve paying DMV fees and penalties and, depending on your situation, completing a smog check. The California DMV explains registration renewal on its official site at dmv.ca.gov.
A lender or leasing company that is the legal owner can sometimes get the car without proof of current registration if it will only transport the car under a specific exemption and pays the towing and storage costs.
Rule 2: Five or more unpaid parking tickets
What the law says
CVC 22651(i)(1) applies to a vehicle, other than a rental, that is found on a highway or public land, or removed under the Vehicle Code, when it is known that the vehicle has been issued five or more notices of parking violations that the owner or person in control has not responded to within:
- 21 calendar days of the citation (or notice of citation) being issued, or
- 14 calendar days of the mailing of a notice of delinquent parking violation.
The same rule also applies when the registered owner has five or more notices for failure to pay or failure to appear in court for traffic violations that have not been cleared.
Getting it released
The vehicle may be held until the person provides the impounding agency with:
- evidence of their identity,
- an address in California where they can be located, and
- satisfactory evidence that all parking penalties due for the vehicle and for all other vehicles registered to the same owner, plus all of the owner’s traffic violations, have been cleared.
That third point is what makes these impounds expensive: you may need to clear tickets on other cars you own, not just the one that was towed. The law also says that instead of paying, a person may demand to be taken before a magistrate (for traffic offenses) or a hearing examiner (for parking offenses) in the county where the violations allegedly happened.
The law requires every parking ticket to carry a warning that repeated violations may result in impounding the vehicle. So the warning is printed on the tickets themselves.
Related: no plates at all
Subdivision (j) allows impound of an illegally parked car with no license plates or other evidence of registration. The car can be held until the owner or person in control provides identity evidence and a California address where they can be located.
Why these tows often happen to cars that “aren’t doing anything wrong”
In Los Angeles and other busy cities, parking enforcement officers routinely check plates. A car can sit legally at a meter or in a residential spot and still be removed because of its registration status or ticket history. Some common scenarios:
- A move. Renewal notices and ticket notices went to an old address, and the owner never saw them.
- A second car. A rarely driven car’s registration lapsed without anyone noticing.
- A failed smog check. The owner meant to fix the car but registration was never completed.
- Tickets on a car that was sold. If the sale was not reported to the DMV, tickets may still be linked to the old owner.
Step-by-step: what to do if you are towed for registration or tickets
- Confirm the reason. Ask the agency which subdivision was used. The release requirements depend on it.
- Find the car. Our impound lot finder and Los Angeles towing guide explain how.
- Fix the underlying issue first.
- For expired registration: renew with the DMV and get proof of current registration.
- For unpaid tickets: contact the agency that processes the parking citations and clear them, then get proof.
- Get any release form the agency requires. Some police agencies issue a vehicle release before the storage yard will hand the car over.
- Bring your license, ID, and payment. A valid driver’s license is required for expired-registration releases. Our impound lot guide has a checklist.
- Move fast. Under Civil Code 3068.1, release within 24 hours of storage limits storage to one day. After that, each calendar day or part of a day can be charged.
- Request a hearing if the tow was wrong. For example, if your registration was current in DMV records. You generally have 10 days from the storage notice to request a post-storage hearing under CVC 22852.
If you cannot afford to clear everything
Because the release conditions require tickets and registration to be dealt with, the total can be more than many people expect. Some options to ask about:
- Ask the agency that processes parking citations whether it offers payment plans or programs for people with low incomes. Many California cities have them, but terms vary, so ask directly.
- Ask about the hearing examiner option in CVC 22651(i)(3) if you dispute the tickets.
- If the car is worth less than what you owe, consider your options carefully. Our repair or junk calculator may help. Do not just abandon it, because the registered owner can remain liable for costs after a lien sale.
How to avoid these tows
- Keep your DMV address current. Renewal notices and ticket notices go to the address on file.
- Set a reminder for registration renewal a month before it expires, especially if smog is required.
- Check for tickets on every car you own, including rarely driven ones.
- Report sales to the DMV when you sell a car, so later tickets are not tied to you.
- Do not ignore tickets. Respond within the deadline, even if you plan to contest them.
Key takeaways
- California allows towing for registration expired more than six months, but only after DMV records are checked and show no current registration.
- Five or more unanswered parking tickets can lead to impound, and release requires clearing tickets on all vehicles registered to the owner.
- Fix the registration or tickets first, then go to the yard with your license, ID and payment.
- If you think the tow was wrong, request a post-storage hearing within 10 days.
Prepared by the TowCars team from the official California Vehicle Code and Civil Code text on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. This is general information, not legal advice.
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